JERUSALEM, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The annual number of construction starts of private homes and apartments in Israel fell by 9.5 percent, according to data published Sunday by the state's Central Bureau of Statistics.
In addition, there was a decrease of 13.2 percent in the constructed housing units, from 53,610 between October 2018 and September 2019 to 46,510 in the following 12-month period.
Gad Lior, a senior analyst for Yedioth Ahronoth daily newspaper, told Xinhua that the drop in both figures was due to the coronavirus crisis as well as a prolonged period of no permanent government in Israel.
"These figures, along with the continuous rise in housing prices, show how severe the housing crisis in Israel is", Lior noted. Enditem
